Succession transmitter



Feb. 9, 1932. B. H. SMITH 1,843,991

SUCCESSION TRANSMITTER Filed oct. 15. 1927 s sheets-sheet 1 Tao BY @ny M a B. H. SMITH sUccEssI'oN TRANSMITTER lieb. 9, 1932;

Filed Oct. 13. 1927 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fel). 9,. 1932. B- H SM|TH v 1,843,991

v succssrou TRANSMITTER Filed oct. 1s. 1927 8` Sheets-Sheet 3 Z r y mw Y Q57 i JNVENTOR..

A T T ORNEY Feb.` 9, l932. a. Hf SMITH 1,843,991. succmsslovI TRANSMITTER 4 Filed actua 192'/ 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 .4. Vez,

:Y INI/ENTOR.

Boyd H. 50x23 vBY 1 3244- M lg ATToRNEYs A Feb. 9, 192.2.4 B H, SW1.. 1,843,991

SUCCESSION TRANSMITTER Filed oct. '15. 1927 8r Sheets-Sheet 5 sa i 5 rm; #W57 Il. l

3;' 5, INVENTOR. Baye? 5072.725

oma-1 9&4

A TT ORNE Y6 m.v 9,1932. l g.; H, Smm v1,843,991

sucEssIoN TRAN'SHITTER Filed oct. 1s. 1927 8 sheets-sheet e y Wifi'.

A INVENTOR. Baye? f7'. ,977,775- BY ATTORNEYS;

Feb.' 9, 193,2. au. s'MrrHf SUGCESSION TRANSMITTER Filed oct. 1:5 1927 e' @2125 es 8 sheets-snoei;A '8.

A TTORNEYJ.

5j v INVENTOR Boyd f7( 6227277?. @mwag Patented Feb. 9, 1932 --uNiTEn armes BOYDv II.. SMITH, OF SHELBYVOHKIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTOCALL CO OHIO, A` CORPORATION OF OI'IIO SUCCESSION TRANSMITTER Application filed October 13, 1927.

rFhis .invention as 'indicated .relates to a succession transmission for an electric' signalling system. More particularly it coniprises a signalling apparatus adapted to-a variety of uses and of especial advantage 1n connection withthe supervision of automatic sprinklerY systems. It includes apparatus whereby a multiplicity of signals may be automatically transmitted to a receiving and la selecting mechanism, and thereafter transmitted in succession without interference. lt also-includes in a sinV .-le apparatus, mechanisml for giving. continuous signals indicating water flow and discontinuous or occasional signalsindicating valve positions. rFhe vapparatus provides for a centralized drive, interlockingy non-.interfering succession coding vof signals, withfull' automatic operation, Withcommon motor switch control, a coni- Ninon armature lock, and with .coding contacts in a single series connection. A pilot light is preferably provided on each transmission unit so that. the apparatus may readily be checkedas to its operation. To. the ac- 25 complishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described, and particularly Vpointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following Si! description set forth in detail'certain mechanisin einbodyingthe invention, suchidisclosed means constituting, however, ons mechanical forms invwhichthe principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings r Fig. 1 is atop plan View of an' apparatus e-mbodying'the principles of my invention, the cover portion ofisaid apparatus being removed; Fig.2fis. a front elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1'; Fig. 3 isa rearelevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; Figsui to 9,v are transverse vertical sectional views taken; respectively alomy the lines 1 -4, 5-.5, 6.6,` 7.-.7,.8`.8, 9er- 9, s own in Fig. 1, looking-in the directionlofthe arrows; Fig'. fis-a diagrammatic View showing the operative parts of the actuating ymechanism and the-circuitconnectigons thereof; Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic View afa relay and latch mech- 50 anism; Fig. 12Y is a transveisesectional View ybut one of vari- Serial No. 225,896.

TENT OFFICE MPANY, OF SHELBY,

of a series of armature members; Fig. 13 is a front elevation of a pair of contact arms;

Fig. 1L1 is a sectional view taken along of the contact' arms the line 14-111 shown in Fig.

looking in the direction o-f the arrows Fig.

15 is a sectional means for pivoting and Figs. 16 and Fig. 6, but showing sumed by the parts of the illustrated during an operative cycle.

As is clearly shown in ings, the apparat-us comprises a detail view showing the the individual latch arms; 17 are sections similar to two other positions asdevice Fig. 1 of the drawbase plate 1 having a series of studs 2 toreceive a cover section (not shown) and provided with a tamper switch 3 adjacent'one corner to indicate when the cover placed. A panel block is removed and re- 4 for circuit connections is located immediately at the rear of the in advance apparatus. immediately panel block, the mechanism 5 is located.

of the SllCCeSSlOIl f'lll'lSllllSSlOll Said mechanism comprises a frame having a pair of vertical end members, 6,

'7, and an intermediate member 8, which serve as supports for a pair of longitudinally extending shafts, one of said shafts 9 carrying a series of selector wheels 11, and the other of said shafts 12 carrying a wheels 13, 1.4i. 15, 16, are loosely mounted on the ends respective shafts, which project throu of said end plates 7, and

gaged by adriving pinion a gear train motor 19.

double series of code lnternieshing driving gears of said gh one said gear 15 is en- 17 for-ming 'part of 18 actuated by a small electric The inotor is supported on a plate 20 held in spaced relation to theadja'- cent end plate 7 of the a journal plate for frame, and serving as the shafts of the gear train. The loose drive gears are each provided at their ends with a plurality shaped leaf springs which rest against driving discs Q3, cured respectively on the selector s and code wheel shaft 1Q for rotation with. In this manner a friction d provided for mechanism,

of U- 21, 22, the free ends of 24, sehaft 9 thererive is each of said shafts, and latching later to be described, may stop the rotation of either of said shafts without interfering with the continuous opera tion of lllo Cil

the other shaft or or' said driving motor. rEhe details of the mechanism of the motor torni no part of the present invention.

The number of selector wheels mounted on the selector shaft equals the number otcircuits to be supervised and the number of code wheels rovided for is double the number of circuits to be supervised, each circuit being provided with a main code wheel and a shuntcii'cuit code wheel for emergency use as will be hereinafter explained. The main selector Wheels are each provided with a notch and each unit oi the series ot ten main selector wheels is so positioned on the selector wheel shaft that its notch is spaced one-tenth of the circumference in clockwise arrangement behind the notch in the preceding wheel.

As is shown in the drawings the selector shaft lies parallel to the front of the frame and closely adjacent thereto with v'the code wheel shaft spaced rearwardly thereof and positioned at a .slightly higher elevation. On the front faceof the apparatus a panel board 26 is secured which serves as a mounting tor a. series or' pilot lights 27.

As is more particularly shown in Fig. 7 oic the drawings, the pilot 1rights have screw sockets 28 and central contact points 29, insulated therefrom, which sockets are engaged at spaced intervals in the support and have circuit connections 31 from eacii lamp to the respective circuits of the apparatus. The central contact 32 of each lamp engages a pin 33 connected with a bus bar at the rear of said pilot light support which forms a common connection for the entire system. Immediately behind the row of pilot lights, the ielay coils 35 arepositioned. Each of these coils, as will appear from Figs. 6 and 7, is mounted upon a base plate 36 which ei:- tends rearwardly beyondsaid relay and is adapted to bear against theupper surface ol a cross bar 37 which is provided with a. gioove 38 on its upper surface to tornia bea`1 ingv for the respective armatures 89 of the relays. Y Y

As is more particularly shown in Fig. 12 of the drawings, each armature comprises a yoke 4l within which are positioned a series of laminated plates 42 secured to the yoke members. Each of these yokes comprises a sheet metal strip bent to inverted U-shapc and having its free ends 43 ierforated to receive a journal pin 44. The laminated plates occupy the intermediate space being held thereinv by screws 45 andabove said plates a trip pin 46 is set transversely or" the yokes. To the rearward portion ofeach yoke. a

' spring supporting plate 47 is held by pins 48 passing through the sides of the yoke meniber. A coil s Drin(r 49 has its one end secured toA said plate and its other end secured to an ad listino' screw 51 eno'aeed through a suo- .H v .n n ze i porting bar o2 extending transversely of the frame. Said screw and spring afford a means for adjusting the tension on the armature.

The base plate supports for the relays are adapt-ed to be secured at their forward ends to a cross bar 53 and at their rearward ends extend over the pivot pins 44 of the armatures. Immediately behind each armature are positioned two sets 54, 55, of spring contact arms shown in enlarged detail in Figs. 13 and 14 ofthe drawings. Each set of contact arms comprises an insulating block 56 formed of three slabs having supported between the same on the inner side, an upwardly extending spring metal strip 57 having at its upper end a. forwardly projecting lug 58 and having a contact point 59 on its face. Between said slabs on the outer side a shortei' spring finger 60 is positioned, said finger carrying a contact point 61 on its outer face in a position to engage with the contact point The conopen cir- 59 of the longer spring linger 57. tact set illustrated in Fig. 14 is for cuit work, while the sets shown diagrammatically in F ig. 11, are for closed circuit work, the action merely being reversed as lwill be obvious without further description.

The spring contact arms are supported on the cross bar 37 which has secured to its rearward face a brass stiip 62. Said brass strip is provided with a pair of fulcrum points 63 located on a central longitudinal line of said block and spaced so as to form bearing points at either side of each built-up insulating block 56. Each such block is held against one pair of said fulcrum points by means of two screws 64, 65, engaged through inserting sleeves 66, 67 along a vertical central line of each of said sets of contact arms, the screwthreaded ends of said screws being engaged through screw-threaded apertures through said brass strip.

By means of the structure just described, the operative position of the sets of contact arms may be regulated to a nicety, the upper screw 64 being released andthe lower screw 65 being tensioned slightly to move the setol contact arms rearwardly or away from the armature and the adjustment being reversed to move the set toward the armature.

Immediately above the operating relays a plurality of releasing latches 71 of bell crank shape are positioned. Said latches, as is shown in Fig. 15, are provided adjacent their angles with pivot pins 72 which extend to each side thereof and are adapted to be received in a grooved supporting bar 73 extending transversely of the apparatus. Each releasing latch is adapted to seat in a groove 74 formed in the supporting bar and its pivot pin 72 is adapted to be received in the transverse groove. The pins are of such length that adjacent pivot pins are spaced from each other a distance sufficient to permit the passage between them of a securing screw 75.

Thus by the simple expedient of removing two screws, any .release latch may be removed.` The upper end 76 of the releasing latch is provided with an upstanding pin 77 against which bears the vforward end of a transmission contact arm 78. Said contact arm 78isprovided withl a lift screw 70 which isactua-tedby a contact pin 80 extending between each pair of code wheels (see Figs. 2, 6 and 7). Said contact arm is pivotally mounted at its rearward end on a supporting bar 79 which carries at either side of said contact. arm 78, a pair of spring contact fingers 81, 82, Vhaving contactpoints 88, 84, on their adjacent faces. The upper of each of said pairs of contact fingers is longer than the companion lower finger and each of said er fingers is adapted to contact with a short'contact arm 85, carrying an insulating button,-86, actuated by one of the code wheels 13, 14, heretofore described, and positioned immediately beneath the central portion of each long contact arm 78.

Forwardly of each code wheel one of the selector wheels 11 is positioned, and immediately Vabove the selector wheel the contact arm 78 carries a beveled lug 87 adapted to coact with a notch` 25 in the selector wheel. Immediately behind the upper end of the releasellat'ch and normally7 serving as support for the' transmission contact arm 78, is a common control` bar 88. Said control bar is supported by a` plurality of arms 89A extending being mounted to an actuating arm 'perv end al roller 102 adapted to operation each substantially7 parallel to and beneath the transmissioncontact arms, andhaving downwardly extending rearward ends 91 perforatedtoreceive a pivot pin 92 by means of which they are secured to a supporting plate 98 pinned to the end supports 6 and 7 of the frame.

The transmission contact arm 78 is held against the common control bar by means of a: coil spring 94 having its one end secured toa fastening element 95 adjacent the rearward end of said armi and extending downwardly to have its opposite end engaged through an aperture in anV adjusting screw 96V supported on a longitudinal cross-bar 97. Adjacent the end of the common control bar 88,1.astarwheel 98 is positioned, said wheel on the selector shaft 9, as is clearly show-nin Fig. 9 of the drawings. The stan wheell ispositioned above an armature lock shaft 99k extending completely across the apparatus, said shaft having fixed there- 101 carrying at its upcoact with notches-103 in said star wheel. The armature lock shaft has a substantially horizontal arm 104; adjacent each end carrying an angle plate 105 adapted to engage the front face-of the upper end of each armature and lock the same against ychange of position. Thestar-wheelhas ten-notches to correspond with ten selector wheels and is brought into time a selector wheel is released when the mechanism moves to operative position w'th a succeeding selector wheel. The code wheel shaft 12 carries a control bar disc having an operating lug 107 which serves to lock code wheel shaft from turning during the selecting period.

Referring to Fig. 0 and supposing that one ofthe armatures not shown in said figure is held in contact with its magnet, it will be seen that the locking bar holds the armature illustrated in Fig. 6, together with all other armatures, out of contact with their respective magnets. As soon as the code corresponding with the actuated magnet has been completed, the shaft 99 is oscillated to move the locking bar 105 out of engagement with the armatures. Supposing that the circuit controlling the armature illustrated in Fig. 6 has been closed during transmission of said above mentioned code, the armature will be drawn into contact with its magnet as soon as the bar-105 is raised out of engagement therewith. Immediately thereafter the locking bar 105 again drops into contact with the remaining armatures to prevent their actuation during the transmission of the code controlled by the mechanism disclosed in Fig. 6. After selective action of said mechanism and the further depression of the lever 89, the lug 107 will clear the pin a 100 carried by said lever, thus releasing said code wheel shaft. A coil spring 108 abuts at its one end against the cross bar 97 and at its other end against an extension stem 109 which engages a face 111 on the lever 89 to urge the control bar 88 to its raised position.

The motor switch comprises a lower arm 112 pivoted. on the shaft 92 and having a lug 113 on its under side. A disc 114, of insulating material having a peripheral notch 115 is mounted on the selector shaft 9 and is thus positioned beneath the said lower switch arm 112 which latter carries on its upper side` a contact switch arm 117 is pivoted upon the supporting bar 79 and may rest upon the common control bar 88. It carries a contact point 118 at one end and adjacent thereto is provided iianged terminal sur- 1.o

point 11G. An upper with a small weight 119 to insure positive action. `When the common control bar 88 is lowered through the acti-on of one of the relays, the motor is set into action and the selector shaft is driven in a clockwise direction. After the complete rotation of the selector shaft has been accomplished, the com mon control bar will be elevated so that the mechanism is stopped in initial position unless in the interval arelay has'been operated in which event the control bar will be held 3 in adepressed position untilthe code of that circuit has been transmitted, and the transmission contact arm 78 thereof has been restored. After the apparatus is cleared of all codes, the motor continues to run until the 7;"

vIl

initial position is reached, at which time the motor switch contacts separate and the motor stops.

The code wheel shaft as has been indicated, carries a plurality of pairs of code wheels, one wheel of each pair being adapted to transmit the regular signal, and the other of each pair being adapted to coact with the regular signal to indicate the restoration of the normal conditions in its circuit.

Contacts made behind the armatures comprise shunt vcontacts and the pilot light contacts. lVhen the armature is released, the pilot light contacts are brought together and the pilot light is illinninated. At the same time the shunt contacts are closed, shunting out contacts 8182, thus allowing the code from wheel 18 to be transmitted, but not the code from wheel 111-. Fromk the above description much of the operation of the apparatus has been indicated but in order tohave a connected idea, a summary of said operations will now be made.

in the diagrammatic view shown in Fig of the drawings, a tamper switch 3 is illustrated, such switch comprising a pair of spring contact arms 121, 122, normally spaced apart and adapted to be forced into contact by means of an angle plate 123, carried on the cover of the apparatus. The tamper switch is in the recorder circuit and the making and breaking of the contact produces a record on the recording instrument.

Considering the apparatus as applied to a sprinkler system, the device as set up will accommodate three water-flow circuits and seven supervising circuits. Each water-flow circuit is provided with .a number of normally open c-ontacts with high resistance lshunt so that the closing of any one of the contacts indicating water-flow will complete the circuit to the corresponding relay of the transmitter as follows z-power line 150- vire 153.-wre 154`flow-controlled switch (not shown)*wire o-magnet 35"wire 156-power line 152. Current How through such circuit energizes the magnet 35 to attract its armature 39. The armature 39 `of this relay in its movement toward its magnet 35 trips the'Lshaped latch 71V dropping the transmission contact arm 78 until the lug 87 contacts with the periphery of thewheel 11. This partially depresses the common control arm 88 and moves the contact 118 on the arm 117 into contact with the contact 116 on the arm 112 to establish a circuit as follows power line 150-arm ll-contact 11S-contact 1164-arm 112wire 151*motor 19- and p-ower line 152. Flow through this circuit starts. the motor which frictionally drives the selector shaft 9. As the selector shaft 9 turns, the lug 87 of the depressed transmission contact arm 78 will drop into the notch of its selector wheel 11 and stop the rotation of the selector shaft. As

the transmission contact arm is .thus lowered into the notch of the selector wheel 11, it tilts the contacts 81, 82, 81 and 82 carried on the block 79 into coding position, lowering the shunty contacts 82 and 82 and approaching the upper contacts 81 and 81 toward the individual arms 85, for the respective code wheels. It also releases the code wheel shaft by moving the pin 100 out ofthe path of the stop lug 107 on the disc 106 by further depression of the common control bar 88.

The code wheels 13, 14, are all revolved b the code wheel shaft but theonly code to be transmitted will be that wherein the contacts have been lowered sufficiently to bring the same within the path of movement of the button 86 on the corresponding arm 85. It will be seen that the contacts 8384 are nor-A mally closed and are adapted to be separated momentarily by the action of the fingers 85 under the influence of the code wheel 13. rlhus there is no 1mally a flow of current through the recorder in the following circuit z`power line 150-wire 153-wire 159-contact arm 82-contact arm SIL-wire l65`arm 8l-contact 83`contact 84-arm 82`wire ltiontact 122-contact 121- wire l61-recorder (not shown `wire 162 and power line 152. Cbviously, when the contacts 83-8t are separated, this circuit is broken and a signal is thus transmitted to the recorder.

As longr as the armature 39 is attracted to the magnet the contacts of the pilot light switch will be separated, as will also the contacts of the shunt switch 511. lVhen, however, the armature 30 is released, the contacts of the switch :1i-are moved together, and a shunt circuit is established around the contact arms 81 and 82 which are cooperat-ive with the code wheel 14. lV ith the parts in this position, it will be obvious that separation of the contact arms 81-82 will not affect the recorder, since current will continue to flow through a circuit as follows power line 15G-wire 15S- wire 159-wire 163`shunt switch flwire 164`wire 165` arm 81-contact {S3- contact 84-arm 82- wire lO-contact 122-contact 121-wire 161-recorder-wire 162 and power line 152. rlhe switch 55 will likewise be closed, of course, to establish a circuit through power line v150`wire 153`circuit 31 including the lamp 27 and the switch 55`wire 162 and power line 152 to light the lamp 27.

After the code has been transmitted, the lift pin 80, between the code wheels engages the lift screw 76 on the contactarm raising the stop block 87 out of the selector wheel notch 25. The common control bar 88 is forced by the spring 108 to follow this arm up and the stoppedby the pin on the control arm 89 just after the lift pin has passed the lift arm screw.

revolution of t-ie code wheels is lease latch which The selector wheel having been released, its cam 13() continues to raise the contact arm until the L-shaped latch drops under it. This completes the action as far as that code is concerned. If a signal has come in over any other circuit in the meanwhile, the selector shaft will revolve until that circuit is found. The same procedure is repeated and its code is transmitted. Vhen all codes have been transmitted the common control bar lifts and when the motor switch cani wheel revolves to the .starting point below, the lower switch bar drops away. The upper is held up by the common control bar. The motor switch ope-ns and the motor stops with the apparatus set for another signal.

While the apparatus is in the process of selecting, the common armature lock is alternately locking and releasing the armatures until` an operated transmission contact arm is found. The movement of other armatures will not affect the transmitted signal since no other signal can be transmitted until the corresponding selector wheel is in the position shown in Fig. 16. The water-flow transmitters have a special cam (Fig. 6) on the reholds the latch out of engagement with the end of the contact bar while the circuit is energized, thus transmitting a repeated code, while the supervising Y transmitter is provided with a cam 131 (Fig.

7 that permits the sending of one code when deenergized, and another upon the restoration.

A distinctive restoration code is given when the circuit becomes normal. The supervising transmitters are arranged to send one signal on an open circuit and a distinctive restoration code is given when the circuit becomes normal. The distinctive restoration codes comprise the adding of a dot and dash to the trouble code. Thus if the trouble code is three, the restoration code will be one dash three. By this arrangement, the circuit identification is retained. Restoration code is given through the pair of contacts located on the armature pivot block which are shunt connected to a corresponding set on the contact arm. A code wheel with one Jtooth operates under one of these upper contact-.s to open and close them ahead of the regular codes, the lower contacts being operated by the ar nature are arranged to be closed when the circuit is in trouble and to be open when the circuit is normal. Then the upper contacts are shunted out during a trouble code but are cleared for restoration code. A second pair of contacts are located on the armature pivot block and actuated by the armature. These control the pilot lights on the front of the apparatus. The pilot lights are illuminated when the armature is actuated for regular trouble code operation, and continue to burn until the circuit is restored to normal conditions.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

l therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

l. A non-interference succession transmitter comprising a plurality of magnets each connected in a separate circuit, an arm oarrying contact mechanism individual to each magnet having normal, intermediate and operating positions, means controlled by each magnet when its circuit is altered for controlling the movement of its corresponding arm to intermediate position, a selecting mechanism having means for successively controlling the movement of each arm from intermediate to operating position during an operating cycle, means controlled by the movement of any arm from normal to intermediate position for starting the operation of the selector mechanism, coding mechanism individual to each contact arm and cooperat ing therewith to transmit an individual code when the corresponding Contact arm is in operative position and means controlled by the coding mechanism for restoring the contact arm to normal at the end of the transmission of the code.

2. A non-interference succession transmitter comprising a plurality of magnets each connected in a separate circuit, an arm carrying contact mechanism individual to each magnet having normal, intermediate and operating positions, means controlled by each magnet when its circuit is altered for controlling the movement of its corresponding arm to intermediate position, a selecting mechanism having means for successively controlling the movement of each arm from intermediate to operating position during an operating cycle, means controlled by the movement of any arm from normal to intermediate position for starting the operation of the selector mechanism, coding mechanism individual to each contact arm and cooperating therewith to transmit an individual code when the corresponding contact arm is in operative position, and means controlled by the coding mechanism for restoring the contact arm to normal at the end of the transmission of the code, and a common armature lock for said armatures successively moving into and out of armature locking position until it contacts a single actuated armature.

Signed by me this 8 day of Oct., 1927.

BOYD H. SMTTH. 

